title: Physician-staffed emergency helicopter reduces transportation time from alarm call to highly specialized centre.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since 2007, the number of Danish emergency departments has decreased from 44 to 21. Longer distances to specialized treatment have increased the demand for advanced prehospital treatment. A Danish 24/7 Helicopter Emergency Medical System (HEMS) project in western Denmark was initiated on 6 January 2011. The HEMS provides prehospital care delivered by a specialized anaesthesiologist. This study evaluated the effect of HEMS on the time to treatment by a physician (time-to-doctor) and the time from a 112 emergency call to arrival at the highly specialized centre (time-to-centre) for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or severe injury (Injury Severity Score > 15).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective study with a matched historical control group, the time-to-doctor and the time-to-centre for patients with STEMI or severe injury transported by HEMS were compared with geographically matched patients with the same diagnoses and who were transported by ambulance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Time-to-centre was reduced from 102 to 84 min. for STEMI and from 322 to 97 min. for severely injured patients after HEMS implementation. HEMS did not substantially reduce time-to-doctor, mainly because of increased availability of physician-staffed cars. In 56% of cases, HEMS was dispatched secondarily more than 30 min. after the ambulance had been dispatched.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using HEMS reduced time to arrival at a highly specialized centre for patients with STEMI or severe injury. Simultaneous dispatch of an ambulance and HEMS shows potential for further reduction in the time-to-centre and the time-to-doctor.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  not relevant.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The trial is registered at the Danish Data Protection Agency.
authors.affiliation: Research Department, Prehospital Emergency Medical Services, Region of Central Jutland, Aarhus, Denmark. alefja@rm.dk
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fjaeldstad
authors.forename: Morten Hasager
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kirk
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Knudsen
authors.forename: Jesper
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bjerring
authors.forename: Erika F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Christensen
mesh_terms: D017732:Air Ambulances / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003718:Denmark; D004631:Emergency Medical Service Communication Systems; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000628:therapy*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D013997:Time Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy*